How is a jousting shield strapped?

[Sean Powell]

Hello,

I am building an ecranch shield that will be used for SCA foot combat. I don't ride and have no experience with jousting but I would like the shield to be strapped so that it could also be used for jousting.

Can someone explain/show how a shield should be strapped and still leave the left hand free enough to manipulate the reigns and support the lance? Additionally has anyone tried fighting with a shield strapped like this and are there any additional modifications necessary?

Pictures would definitely be appreciated.

Sean

[Thomas H]

Why would you want an encranche for foot combat?

[Otto von Teich]

Go to HE's site, Jeff had a pic there of the back of his shield, thats what I used for reference when I straped mine.

[Cellach_macChormach]

I recently saw a few posts on jousting shields and on strapping them on Will's Commonplace Book. The post can be found at http://willscommonplacebook.blogspot.com/2010/02/straps-for-targe.html.

[Sean Powell]

Thomas,

A few reasons. For my mid 15th cent kit the ecranche shield is the appropriate shape, for horseback. The majority of mid 15th cent cap-a-pie combat occurs without shields but the few that do (codex Wallerstein etc) show small shields like bucklers or ecranche shields. Presumably these shields are being pressed into service.

I have been doing this long enough that making decisions for a sporting advantage has gotten old and If I'm going to cary an ecranch shield for combat I would like it to be strapped in a period manner even if I don't joust with it.

Fighting with a 24x36 heater has gotten boring and I want a smaller shield to improve my reflexes.

Ecranch shields are just damn cool.

Cellach,
Actually I built the wood shields for Galleron that he painted, covered and strapped. I was going to ask him about straps tonight at practice. I didn't realize he had posted pics of the strapping. Thanks for the link. Still He has never jousted with those shields so they are somewhat speculative.

Otto,
I'll check the HE web page. I should have thought to check with Jeff directly.

Everyone,
I'm probably hoping against hope here but there are a few extant jousting shields in museums. I didn't know if anyone had any pictures of the back-sides. Lacking that anyone have pictures from illuminations? I bet Karren Larsdatter has a shields page I need to look at over lunch.

Thanks all!
Sean

[Galleron]

Sean:

Here's a post with a back view. The straps are gone, but you can still see the staples where they attached.

http://willscommonplacebook.blogspot.co ... targe.html

[Karen Larsdatter]

I bet Karren Larsdatter has a shields page I need to look at over lunch.

http://www.larsdatter.com/painted-shields.htm